Gum Disease: Why Romans had teeth to smile about

A recent article in The Times newspaperclaims the Romans suffered from less periodontal disease than we do today. Really? We know they didn’t have access to the same modern dentistry and mouth-care techniques back then, so what was their secret? Was it really all down to not smoking and less sugar in the diet, or are there other factors at play? Dr Galgut challenges some of the views proffered by Professor Frances Hughes and suggests some other reasons for the lowered incidence of periodontal disease found in our ancient forebears.Read More

Are you aware of the link between smoking and gum disease, or the link between gum disease and cancer?

When it comes to our general health and well-being, it doesn’t take a medical genius to work out that in order to be fit and healthy, we need to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle. We should cut out junk food, or at least cut right back on it. We should eat fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, and fresh and natural produce. We should drink more water, and we should get more exercise. Whilst all of those things are constantly stressed to us, and every day we hear more and reasons why we need to heed that advice through media and television, there is another factor that we should address: The effects our lifestyles in general, or more specifically, our lifestyle choices and habits, have on the health of our teeth and gums, together with the further ranging consequences of that. Read More

Dental plaque is not just about the build-up of film on your teeth caused by bacteria or bad brushing. It is the first line in a whole array of oral problems, including gum disease and periodontal disease, which left untreated, can cause other more serious illness throughout the body. Preventative dentistry is about just that: preventing oral problems from developing in the first place, rather than just treating the symptoms as they appear. Nothing in the body is isolated. In terms of “good health”, it is important to remember the whole body functions as one unit. Each process is inter-connected to another in some way, shape, or form. That means if you want a healthy body, you can’t ignore your teeth!Read More

What exactly are our wisdom teeth, what is their purpose, and above all else, why are they called wisdom teeth at all?

When people talk about excruciating pain from natural causes, probably top of the list (certainly if you are female!) would be child birth. Depending on the person and their medical history, passing a kidney stone, suffering from an intense migraine, or severe back pain may also make it into their personal top three. Another cause of extreme pain however, which many of us are unfortunately able to relate to, is the agonising toothache associated with problem wisdom teeth. Read More

According to the National Obesity Council, the UK is the world’s 6th most obese nation. And according to the World Health Organisation, nearly 100% of adults in industrialised countries (of which we are one) have dental cavities. That paints us in a pretty unhealthy light! When it comes to our health and overall well-being, more often than not we focus on what we perceive to be the more pressing health issues prevalent in our society today: Diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, strokes and arthritis – conditions which are often directly or indirectly associated with the alarming rise in obesity and our culture of unhealthy living. One issue that we don’t tend to prioritise, until we actually have a problem, is our teeth, or rather the health of our teeth and gums. Read More

Life is a miraculous thing when you think about the cycle of evolution and just how far we’ve come over the course of the centuries. We now know more about life and the theory of evolution than ever before, and what’s especially mind-blowing is that we still have not yet discovered anywhere close to all of the different species currently living on this planet with us. Read More